PEDRR Shoutout: The Role of Ecosystems in Disaster Risk Reduction is now available online

Launched at the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction in May 2013, the book The Role of Ecosystems in Disaster Risk Reduction can now be downloaded for free from the United Nations University collections. Edited by Fabrice Renaud (UNU), Karen Sudmeier-Rieux (IUCN CEM) and Marisol Estrella (UNEP), the book was the first volume to provide an overview of knowledge and practice of Eco-DRR. It contains 17 chapters writtenby 58 professionals from around the world. Link to the publication

News

New York City Mayor announces $100 million Coastal Resiliency Plan, capitalizing on green infrastructure

On 27 August, the Mayor of New York City announced a Comprehensive Resiliency Plan of $100 million to help protect Lower Manhattan from flooding, marking the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The City and its partners are engaged in beach improvements and wetland enhancements in the Rockaways and Jamaica Bay. The funding will also allow New York to build green infrastructure throughout Lower Manhattan as a way to absorb storm water and improve air quality. Learn more

New CDB project builds communities’ resilience to disasters in Jamaica by planting trees

A $70-million project funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), called Trinityville Area Integrated Land Management and Disaster Risk Reduction Project, aims to build local communities’ resilience to coastal hazards and landslides in eastern Jamaica. The project will plant 3,000 fruit and timber trees and build contour barriers along hillsides that will arrest water flow. Read more

Asia: USAID and NASA launched "SERVIR-Mekong"

Funded by USAID and NASA and implemented by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center and its partners, SERVIR-Mekong was launched on 31 August to help decision makers in Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam use publicly available satellite imagery, geospatial data and maps to make more informed decisions on water management, land use planning, disaster risk reduction and natural resources management. SERVIR-Mekong and its partners are also developing a mapping tool to view real-time flooding. This tool will be available on the SERVIR-Mekong portal. Learn more

Upcoming Event

The 1st European Urban Green Infrastructure Conference 2015

The Conference will take place on 23-24 Nov 2015 in Vienna, Austria, to showcase how nature-based solutions can address issues of climate change, biodiversity loss, water and energy management in cities. Leading urban green infrastructure experts will share knowledge and experience on how working with nature is vital to create resilient cities in the 21st Century. The Call for Papers and Projects is open until 15 October. Learn more

Publications

Effects of different management regimes on mangrove ecosystem services in Java, Indonesia

Published by Wageningen University and Wetlands International, this report describes performance indicators for seven ecosystem services: food, raw materials, coastal protection, carbon sequestration, water purification, nursery for fish and shrimp, and nature-based recreation. Mangroves were found to score highest against evaluated ecosystem services, except food. By comparing various mangrove management regimes to aquaculture, the study enables decision makers to choose the optimal coastal management strategy. Link to the publication

Resilient New Orleans - Strategic actions to shape our future city

This book sets forth aspirations to make the city of New Orleans in the U.S. a dynamic urban landscape aligned with its natural environment. Since 1932 Louisiana has lost 1,900 mi2 (4,920 km2) of its coastal land because of the channelization of the Mississippi River and construction of industrial pipelines. New Orleans is now supporting efforts of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and leveraging financial resources to improve flood protection provided by coastal wetlands. Read more

A NASA Earth Observatory image from 2014 shows the Mississippi River winding towards the Louisiana coastline.
(Image from earthobservatory.nasa.gov)